Every MLB Team’s Most Important Player in 2017

Arizona Diamondbacks - Zack Greinke - RHP

After three dominant seasons with the Dodgers, Greinke was an entirely different player in his first season with the Diamondbacks. In his last season in Los Angeles, Greinke went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA. Last season, the ace finished with just a 13-7 record and a 4.37 ERA for an underachieving Diamondbacks team. If the Diamondbacks have any plans for challenging the Dodgers, Giants, and possibly the Rockies, Greinke needs to regain his incredible form of years past. If he can’t, he will burden the club with one of the biggest contracts in the game.

Atlanta Braves - Dansby Swanson - SS

By fleecing the Diamondbacks in the trade for Swanson, the Braves are confident their young short stop will be a star for the team years to come. In 38 games last season, Swanson hit .302 with 3 HR and 17 RBI. Moving into a new park this year, and coming off a few poor seasons, Swanson offers a glimmer of hope for the Braves and their fan base that were so accustomed to winning during the Bobby Cox era.

If Swanson can continue to prove he can hit at the major league level, and provides steady defense, Braves fans will quickly come to love their most talented player.